Best tips & Beard Grooming Products

 

Like leggings for ladies and straps for modern gentlemen, beards—in all their forms—are part of the cycle of men's fashion since the dawn of time. For some, they symbolize freedom and wisdom while for others they symbolize patience and quintessence. However, the cultivation of a beard is first and foremost a sign of commitment. As for your hair and your lawn, your beard requires good care with appropriate products and tools. Whether you are just at the stubble stage or you try to tame a 2 feet long mane, grooming is essential. If you do not pay attention to your beard, very quickly, you'll look like a wild Alaska wanderer—not to say a caveman.
 
Just as your daring clothes, your beard helps to define your style and your personality. In this sense, a well-defined and maintained beard reflects a proud and confident man. Now that you have taken the first step—which is to grow a beard—here are some tips and products to apply in order to obtain a beautiful well-groomed, healthy and stylized beard, as we like them.

 

Love your Beard as it is

 

Growth areas, bristles color, and beard growth rate depend directly on your genetic code. Thus said, the beard that you will be able to grow will not be the same as your best friend or idol for example. In this sense, the beard of your dreams will not grow overnight and no miracle solution will help you to get what you cannot get. Patience and care are the keys to a nice healthy beard.
 
Remember that the faster you accept your beard as it is, the faster you'll be comfortable in your skin.

 

Preach the dictum "A healthy Mind in a healthy Body"

 

Generally, those who pay special attention to their health and to what they ingest, tend to have a beautiful healthy skin. In this sense, those who have a beautiful healthy skin, normally have beautiful and healthy hair & bristles.
 
To promote a healthy growth of your facial hair and hair, it is important to maintain a good diet and to avoid alcohol and dehydration. Your meals and snacks should contain omega 3, multivitamins and fatty acids. For best results—and to get fabulous hair & bristles—you can even opt for a diet rich in vitamins A (beta-carotene).
 
* If you decide to start a special diet, take good care to consult a health professional before.
 
Those who smoke cigarettes and wish to grow a beard should seriously start thinking about stopping. The reason being that smoking greatly reduces blood flow and so, slows hair growth. It's time to put this bad habit away brother!
 
Physical activity also affects the health of your hair. People who practice any kind of sports and have a good physical condition often have an excellent blood circulation, and a healthy metabolism. A healthy metabolism enables a faster absorption of the good nutrients by your hair system, and thus stimulates the hair growth on your face.
 
Again, to promote beard growth,  sleeping enough and to avoiding all sources of stress is important. Resting is fundamental for a good functioning of your metabolism and hair system. Stress can make your bristles thinner and more breakable, and simply slow their growth.
 
Remember that to get a real manly beard, it is important to have a healthy mind in a healthy body!

 

Groom your Beard with the Right Products

 

As you have probably noticed, there is a huge difference between an unmaintained natural beard and a well-groomed beard. Just like your hair, the beard has special needs and requires regular grooming with suitable and specific products.

Beard Balm

The beard balm is a stylizing product that nourishes your beard bristles. A good quality beard balm aims to revitalize, moisturize, add light holding, and make your beard look thicker.
 
A good quality beard balm often contains sealing ingredients and natural moisturizers like shea butter , beeswax, lanolin, jojoba oil and argan oil. These natural ingredients help your beard to appear thicker. In addition, these natural products help to prevent irritation of the underlying skin and stimulate the healthy growth of the beard.
 
For instance, beard balm that contains synthetic sealants like petroleum jelly, should be avoided as they may irritate and dry out your skin and damage the bristles of your mane.
 
If you have an uneven or thin beard, beard balms with a shea butter base are a nice solution to your problems, as they help adding volume to your beard.

Beard Shampoo

The main distinction when comparing a beard shampoo or soap with the shampoo that you use to clean your hair is that the beard shampoo is specially designed to clean facial hair, not the scalp hair.
 
What is the difference between the scalp hair and the beard or mustache, you may ask? There are none, or almost! Your hair, as the bristles of your beard naturally produces a small amount of oil that is called sebum. This oil comes from a secretion of the sebaceous glands located in the root of each of your hair follicles.
 
The question to ask is not what is the difference between hair and beard bristles. But what is the difference between beard shampoo and hair shampoo? To make it simple, hair shampoos are designed to clean the hair and the oil naturally created on your scalp (it is this oil that is responsible for oily hair). Instead, beard shampoos also aim to clean facial hair, but without stripping away natural oils. The sebum naturally created on the surface of your skin face helps to prevent dry and frizzy beard, and split ends. Moreover, beard cleaners, shampoos, and soaps, are generally 100% natural and contain no chemicals products. Normally a good beard shampoo, will make you save on the amount of beard oil and balm that you apply in your mane, as it will be well-hydrated.
 
Stop using hair shampoo to clean bristles of your face and quickly feel the benefits of a product specifically designed for your beard.

Beard Conditioner

Based on the same principle as shampoos, your beard needs to be conditioned with suitable products, specifically designed for beards. You use a shampoo and conditioner for your hair, well, you must do the same with your beard! Normally, you should condition your beard every 2-3 days.
 
Beard conditioners are designed to make your beard softer, more manageable and easier to style. They also help moisturize the beard and the underlying skin, control the beard by preventing ingrown hair, dry skin, beard itching, and flaky skin. Beard conditioners provide to your mane the oils needed for a healthy growth.
 
Unfortunately, too many men still grow their beard naturally and use hair shampoos and conditioners to clean it. They are paying the hard price for it. They often have dry and unruly beard.

Moustache Wax

The moustache wax is by definition a rigid ointment dedicated to being applied on the mustache, to allow his bristles to keep up in place. It is usually applied on the tips of the mustache to curl them. There are many varieties of mustache waxes such as organic waxes, petrochemical free waxes, soy free waxes or even vegan waxes.
 
Organic mustache waxes are a safe choice. They often contain essential oils or other beneficial ingredients for the conditioning and the health of your mustache bristles. These organic waxes usually act as a barrier against moisture and allow a better reinforcement of your hair. According to the different manufacturers, there is mustache wax with fragrance and also unscented waxes.
 
Depending on the length of your "stache", and the desired style, differents holdings are available. You can choose between the following waxes:

- Extra strong hold mustache wax
 
- Strong hold mustache wax
 
- Medium hold mustache wax
 
- Light hold mustache wax

Beard Comb and Brush

Beard combs and brushes are essential tools in every beardsman grooming routine. There is a wide selection of plastic and wooden beard combs, and boar or synthetic beard brushes. Besides helping to style the beard, combs and brushes allow your facial hair to grow in the desired direction and by doing so, allows the skin of your face to have a better blood flow. Which is fine since as better blood circulation promotes a healthy and rapid facial hair growth.
 
However, contrary to popular belief, these tools don't have the exact same functions.

Beard Comb

Beard combs are often made of wood or plastic. Their teeth can be spaced or closed. Those with a shorter beard will want a beard comb with closed teeth, while those with a long beard will want to opt for a beard comb with spaced teeth. The beard combs are essentially designed to untangle your beard and mustache, and to prepare it for the beard oil application. The beard combs are not ideal to spread beard oil, due to the spacing of their teeth.

Beard Brush

Beard brushes, rather aim to expand beard oil or any other products in your beard. They are usually made with a wooden or plastic handle, and with badger, boar, or with synthetic bristles. Beard brushes with boar bristles are especially recognized for their excellent ability to capture the oils of your beard and redistributing it more evenly.
 
Finally, the use of a beard comb and brush is recommended when you have a beard of about a month or more.

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